Ransom Center Magazine

Peter Mears

Listen: Join Frank Reaugh’s cowboys in O Roundup

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One of our patrons’ favorite features about our current exhibition Frank Reaugh: Landscapes of Texas and the American West, is the “guide by cell” audio tour for visitors. This audio tour lets visitors call in and hear informational snippets about the paintings on display. Ransom Center Curator of Art Peter Mears discusses highlights from the exhibition, and Project Specialist Greg Curtis speaks as the voice of Frank Reaugh to narrate the artist’s own comments.

[Read more…] about Listen: Join Frank Reaugh’s cowboys in O Roundup

Rediscovering the art of Frank Reaugh

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From August 4 through November 29, 2015, the Harry Ransom Center hosts the exhibition Frank Reaugh: Landscapes of Texas and the American West. The showcase displays over 100 artworks by renowned artist Frank Reaugh (pronounced “Ray”). To complement the exhibition, a companion book is available titled Windows on the West, The Art of Frank Reaugh, edited by Curator of Art Peter F. Mears. The excerpt below is Mears’s introduction to the book, titled “Rediscovering the Art of Frank Reaugh.” In it, he describes Reaugh’s life, vision, and legacy as one of Texas’s most iconic artists.  [Read more…] about Rediscovering the art of Frank Reaugh

Meet the staff: Curator of Art Peter Mears

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Meet the Staff is a Q&A series on Cultural Compass that highlights the work, experience, and lives of staff at the Harry Ransom Center.

Peter Mears served in the United States Army before receiving his Bachelor of Fine Art degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art. After traveling through Central America he arrived in Austin and gained experience at what is now called the Contemporary Austin Museum. Mears joined the Ransom Center in 1995 and serves as Curator of Art. [Read more…] about Meet the staff: Curator of Art Peter Mears

Meet the staff: Chelsea Weathers, research associate, visual materials collections

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Meet the Staff is a Q&A series on Cultural Compass that highlights the work, experience, and lives of staff at the Harry Ransom Center.

Chelsea Weathers received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and then both her Masters of Arts and [Read more…] about Meet the staff: Chelsea Weathers, research associate, visual materials collections

Donated Tom Lea drawings add depth to collection

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The Harry Ransom Center recently received a generous gift of four Tom Lea drawings. Dating from 1931 to 1951, the drawings of dancers and an acrobat showcase another artistic focus of Lea’s (1907 – 2001) expansive career.

Donated by Sandra Snyder, the drawings were previously owned by her aunt, Martha Esquivel Hahn, of El Paso, Texas. Hahn, herself a dancer and wardrobe supervisor, was a friend of Lea. Hahn and Lea went to the same high school in El Paso together and were life-long friends. After living in Chicago, New York City, and Las Vegas, Hahn returned to El Paso, where she opened a ballet school. One of the drawings, Portrait of Martha, is of Hahn.

The four works will be added to the Ransom Center’s Sarah and Tom Lea art collection, which consists of the artist’s personal art works, including book illustrations, paintings, drawings, and lithographs. The Ransom Center also holds a large archive of manuscripts relating to Lea’s books, including The Brave Bulls (1949) and The Wonderful Country (1952), both of which were produced as films.

“It is a good day when someone contacts the Center about finding a proper home for their artwork, especially when the work is strongly associated with artists already in the collection,” said Ransom Center Associate Curator of Art Peter Mears. “Ms. Snyder’s thoughtful gift of Tom Lea drawings adds depth to the collection as well as new insight into this El Paso artist’s exceptional career.”

The Tom Lea collection is accessible for research in the Ransom Center’s Reading and Viewing Room. The Tom Lea Room (located on the Ransom Center’s third floor), which chronicles Lea’s life and career and includes period photographs and original works of art, is available by appointment.

Please click the thumbnails to view full-size images.

 

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